Interestingly, when Starfleet wanted to engage and recover the superfast prototype, it sent a Nebula, which plausibly is among the faster types (because it looks like the Galaxy which turn is credited with high speed) - but then followed up with an Akira, for which relative propulsive performance is not know, and two Defiants, which are famed for their exceptional slowness and propulsive problems. It looks more like a case of "send whatever we have" than "tailor a force to match the mission".

It's probably that way for every fleet action... Quite possibly every single phaser emitter you can bring to bear will contribute to your success, even if some of your ships can't keep up or can't take the pounding. And if the enemy thinks likewise, then some of his ships will be inferior units, too, and yours can be pitted against them if the opportunity for "optimizing of force allocation" briefly arises.